Ukraine War discussion - Threat to Public Health

[Emily]

https://news.antiwar.com/2023/05/28/state-department-wont-say-if-its-working-to-free-us-citizen-detained-in-ukraine/

State Department Won’t Say If It’s Working to Free US Citizen Detained in Ukraine

Gonzalo Lira, a popular YouTuber and writer, was arrested by the SBU for his political views on the war by Dave DeCamp Posted on May 28, 2023Categories NewsTags Ukraine The State Department has refused to say if it’s engaging with the Ukrainian government over American citizen Gonzalo Lira, who was detained by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) due to his political views on the conflict with Russia.
Lira has a popular YouTube channel and a large following on Twitter and Telegram. He is also a writer who has contributed to several media outlets, including Business Insider. Lira was born in California and is a dual citizen of the US and Chile and had been living in Kharkiv, Ukraine, throughout the war...

[Emily]

https://eisenhowermedianetwork.org/russia-ukraine-war-peace/

The U.S. Should Be a Force for Peace in the World


The Russia-Ukraine War has been an unmitigated disaster. Hundreds of thousands have been killed or wounded. Millions have been displaced. Environmental and economic destruction have been incalculable. Future devastation could be exponentially greater as nuclear powers creep ever closer toward open war.

We deplore the violence, war crimes, indiscriminate missile strikes, terrorism, and other atrocities that are part of this war. The solution to this shocking violence is not more weapons or more war, with their guarantee of further death and destruction.

As Americans and national security experts, we urge President Biden and Congress to use their full power to end the Russia-Ukraine War speedily through diplomacy, especially given the grave dangers of military escalation that could spiral out of control.

Sixty years ago, President John F. Kennedy made an observation that is crucial for our survival today. “Above all, while defending our own vital interests, nuclear powers must avert those confrontations which bring an adversary to a choice of either a humiliating retreat or a nuclear war. To adopt that kind of course in the nuclear age would be evidence only of the bankruptcy of our policy–or of a collective death-wish for the world.”

The immediate cause of this disastrous war in Ukraine is Russia’s invasion. Yet the plans and actions to expand NATO to Russia’s borders served to provoke Russian fears. And Russian leaders made this point for 30 years. A failure of diplomacy led to war. Now diplomacy is urgently needed to end the Russia-Ukraine War before it destroys Ukraine and endangers humanity.

The Potential for Peace

Russia’s current geopolitical anxiety is informed by memories of invasion from Charles XII, Napoleon, the Kaiser and Hitler. U.S. troops were among an Allied invasion force that intervened unsuccessfully against the winning side in Russia’s post-World War I civil war. Russia sees NATO enlargement and presence on its borders as a direct threat; the U.S. and NATO see only prudent preparedness. In diplomacy, one must attempt to see with strategic empathy, seeking to understand one’s adversaries. This is not weakness: it is wisdom.

We reject the idea that diplomats, seeking peace, must choose sides, in this case either Russia or Ukraine. In favoring diplomacy we choose the side of sanity. Of humanity. Of peace.

We consider President Biden’s promise to back Ukraine “as long as it takes” to be a license to pursue ill-defined and ultimately unachievable goals. It could prove as catastrophic as President Putin’s decision last year to launch his criminal invasion and occupation. We cannot and will not endorse the strategy of fighting Russia to the last Ukrainian.

We advocate for a meaningful and genuine commitment to diplomacy, specifically an immediate ceasefire and negotiations without any disqualifying or prohibitive preconditions. Deliberate provocations delivered the Russia-Ukraine War. In the same manner, deliberate diplomacy can end it...

Hat tip: More Cowbell For Ukraine While Former U.S. Military Officers and Diplomats Plead for Sanity

[Emily]

Haass says maybe in 10-15 years there could be a diplomatic return of Ukraine's territories.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-65716503

US diplomat: Ukraine’s allies need new diplomatic tactic

Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, explains to the BBC why calls for a diplomatic end to the conflict are increasing. Regaining invaded territory will only come after a ‘change in Moscow’s leadership', Haass said.

• Subsection
  US & Canada
• Published
  11 hours ago

[Emily]

Russia has said they will consider a trade after his trial, which may take a year. He might have been talked into doing something stupid for propaganda purposes by US interests or covertly for trade purposes by Russian interests.

[sharon sanders]

Russian Security Service Detains Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gershkovich

The reporter is part of the newspaper’s Moscow bureau; the Journal ‘vehemently denies’ allegations against him, seeks his immediate release


snip

Russia last March passed a censorship law that makes it illegal to publish what authorities deem false information about military operations in Ukraine. In response, many domestic news outlets ceased operations or left the country and foreign media significantly restricted reporting inside Russia and withdrew many staff.

more....

https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian...bd505?mod=e2tw


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The regime was probably not to happy with this report 2 days ago:



Russia’s Economy Is Starting to Come Undone

Investment is down, labor is scarce, budget is squeezed. Oligarch: ‘There will be no money next year’

By Georgi Kantchev and Evan Gershkovich

March 28, 2023 10:45 am ET

MOSCOW—The opening months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year drove an increase in oil and natural-gas prices that brought a windfall for Moscow. Those days are over.

As the war continues into its second year and Western sanctions bite harder, Russia’s government revenue is being squeezed and its economy has shifted to a lower-growth trajectory, likely for the long term.

more....

https://www.wsj.com/articles/russias...ing_now_news_3

[alert]

Her father has now fled and his whereabouts are unknown:

https://www.aol.com/news/russia-convicts-father-teen-drew-194326214.html

[Emily]

There seems to be good evidence that depleted uranium weapons have already been used in Ukraine since the escalation over a year ago. Sensors in the UK have picked up the signature and it is as strong as during the US invasion of Iraq.

https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/europe/emerging-diseases-other-health-threats-ad/971519-uranium-weapons-being-employed-in-ukraine-have-significantly-increased-uranium-levels-in-the-air-in-the-uk-europe

How can it be that Ukraine and Russia are unaware of this? Are they getting DU weapons without their knowledge?

[Emily]

That newsweek link has some background on the father. You could find more at this reputedly more indepenent Russian news site: https://meduza.io/en/news/2023/03/12...ture-in-school

I'm not saying the girl is a Hanoi Jane. It's the Dad who is accused of calling soldiers 'rapists.' I don't think the girl is in an orphanage or foster home. The wording 'social rehabilitation shelter' sounds like what we call reform schools here. That's bad news if so. This one for boys looks well-run, but the problems some have are way beyond controversial art.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx46iJsEm70

Her mother is unavailable right now. It's unfortunate, but we have a lot of kids here in the US who we could help, and all we can do in Ukraine and Russia is make even more trouble right now.

[Pathfinder]

Putin says will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus

AFP
Sat, 25 March 2023 at 1:11 pm GMT-5·2-min read

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday he would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbour and ally Belarus.
...
He also said he would deploy depleted uranium ammunition if Kyiv received such munitions from the West following a British suggestion that it could supply Ukraine.

"There is nothing unusual here either: the United States has been doing this for decades. They have long placed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allies," Putin said.
...
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has warned nuclear threats were creating a dangerous sense of uncertainty around their possible use.

The longer Russia's operation in Ukraine grinds on, the greater the nuclear strike risk, ICAN warned last month ahead of the offensive's first anniversary.
...

https://news.yahoo.com/putin-says-deploy-tactical-nuclear-181122475.html

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2 minute read March 25, 202312:33 PM CST Last Updated 10 min ago

Putin says Moscow to station nuclear weapons in Belarus, first time since 1990s

March 25 (Reuters) - Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus, President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday, marking the first time since the mid-1990s that Moscow will have based such arms outside the country.

Putin made the announcement at a time of growing tensions with the West over the Ukraine war and as some Russian commentators speculate about possible nuclear strikes.

Putin told state television that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had long raised the issue of stationing tactical nuclear weapons in his country, which borders NATO member Poland.
...

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-says-moscow-has-deal-with-belarus-station-nuclear-weapons-there-tass-2023-03-25/

[alert]

I'm not sure "Glory to Ukraine" is the same level as praising the Viet Cong, especially since in her poster it was on a sign held up by what was presumably a Ukrainian woman (given the incoming rockets with Russian flags). I think the equivalent statement to that would have been something like praising the Azov Battalion or something, which is something no Russian would do. I have been unable to find any details about the political actions of her father, other than his arrest, and have no idea where her mother is, although she is presumably alive.

Having tracked undiagnosed outbreaks in Ukrainian and Russian orphanages in the past here on FT, this is not a place you want to put a child unless there is literally no other option.

[Emily]

After the war, there will be lands in Donbas unsuitable for life. Ecologists have published research on soils (Local and international food supply threatened with heavy metals contamination.)


Uranium weapons being employed in Ukraine have significantly increased Uranium levels in the air in the UK/Europe

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-65051330

Depleted uranium shells: Why are they used and are they harmful?

• Published 1 day ago

Russia has warned the UK not to provide depleted uranium shells as ammunition for the tanks it is sending to Ukraine, saying they contain a "nuclear component".

Depleted uranium makes weapons more powerful, but it is feared those weapons could be a threat to people in areas where they are used.

What is depleted uranium?

Depleted uranium is naturally-occurring uranium, which has been stripped of much - but not all - of its radioactive matter.

It is a waste product from the process through which uranium is enriched for use in nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons.
...

How dangerous are depleted uranium weapons?

Depleted uranium is mildly radioactive.

"The fear is that if depleted uranium shells land on the ground, they may contaminate the soil," says Dr Miron. "That is why the US and its Nato allies sparked controversy when they used them in Kosovo."
...

However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says there could be a risk of radiation to individuals who handle fragments of depleted uranium rounds.

A study published in the journal Environmental Pollution in 2019 suggests there may be links between the use of depleted uranium weapons and birth defects in Nasiriyah, in Iraq.

Another concern, says the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, is that "in a post-conflict environment, the presence of depleted uranium residues can further increase the anxiety of local populations".

A 2022 UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report said it was concerned about possible depleted uranium use in Ukraine, warning it can cause "skin irritation, kidney failure and increase the risks of cancer".

"The chemical toxicity of depleted uranium is considered a more significant issue than the possible impacts of its radioactivity," it says. residues can further increase the anxiety of local populations"....

[Emily]

Actually, I see it in WaPo and some of the UK war propaganda outlets. All I can say is that when I worked with the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, I never said 'Glory to the Viet Cong' or otherwise denigrated our military by calling them rapists. Active duty Air Force even were even happy to give us rides to marches. This girl's dad reminds of the brats who used to spit in the face of returning soldiers.

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-war-protest-painting-anti-war-image-orphanage-1786721

[alert]

Multiple stories from the Russian side that aren't reaching Western news outlets, courtesy of a Russian blogger in Tbilisi:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVvmeKUyIvo

The story of 12-year-old Marsha Moskaleva, who is apparently sitting in a Russian orphanage while her father sits in a Russian jail, the result of a pro-Ukrainian drawing in a middle school art class, is particularly foul, even by the standards of this war.

[Emily]

So far I've seen western media downplay the importance of this, but both sides seem more aggressive to me. I hope this settles down. War is a sickness.

zhttp://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/70750

Brief points of importance are listed here:

https://sonar21.com/you-have-witnessed-history-today-in-moscow-and-it-is-consequential/

You Have Witnessed History Today in Moscow and It Is Consequential
21 March 2023 by Larry Johnson

[Emily]

I would have warned them not to move to the Seattle area. They weren't able to get insurance yet, so the car is a total loss. Worse, they could be sued by the criminals who stole the car, or by the criminals' fine families if they die. Also, the innocent driver could sue them. They'll need to be able to show their keys were not in the car, etc. With no insurance company lawyer to defend them...

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/ukr...NFWSBGTWJT2BY/
Ukrainian family’s new KIA stolen, crashed next day in Renton
By Deborah Horne, KIRO 7 News and KIRO 7 News Staff March 12, 2023 at 4:26 pm PDT

A Ukrainian family is desperate after their brand new KIA was stolen and then crashed into another car the next day.

The theft happened last Tuesday outside the family’s apartment building in Covington.

The very next day, Renton police say an 18-year-old driver ran a red light and plowed into an unsuspecting driver.

That driver wasn’t badly injured but three teens in the KIA were critically injured and the car is undrivable.

It has left this family with no way to get around.

The family really needs a car, as they are trying to build a new life in America.

“No, we don’t have a car,” said Olena Stasiuk, “and we don’t have money for another car.”

This is not how Olena imagined a new life in America. After all, her family was following in the footsteps of their neighbor and friend Olha Myrhodskay, fleeing the devastating war in their native Odessa, Ukraine....